e, and me pouring in fire whenever I could see them.

"At last I got six shrapnel into a wood and cleared a heap of them
out and got into them with shrapnel. It was awful! The sergeant major
put his hand up to his head and said: "Oh, sir, it's terrible!" That
seemed to settle them, and at last we saw the infantry advancing
to their positions without resistance.

"Now was my chance. I determined to get those machine guns if I
could, as otherwise the infantry would. So I left ---- in command
and got the trumpeter, sergeant major, and six men with six rifles,
and went forward 'to reconnoiter,' as I reported to ---- after I
had gone. It was a weird ride, through thick black woods, holding
my revolver ready, going in front with the little trumpeter behind
and the others following some way in the rear. We passed some very
bad sights, and knew the woods were full of Germans who were afraid
to get away on account of the dreaded shell fire. We got in front
of our infantry, who were going to fire at us, but I shouted just
in time.

"At last we came to the edge of a wood, and in front of us, about
200 yards away, was a little cup-shaped copse, and the enemy's
trenches with machine guns a little farther on. I felt sure this
wood was full of Germans, as I had seen them go in earlier. I started
to gallop for it, and the others followed. Suddenly about fifty
Germans bolted out, firing at us. I loosed off my revolver as fast
as I could, and ---- loosed off his rifle from the saddle. They
must have thought we were a regiment of cavalry, for, except for
a few, they suddenly yelled and bolted. I stopped and dismounted
my lot to fire at them, to make sure that they didn't change their
minds.

"I waited for a lull, and mounted all my lot behind the bushes
and made them spring as I gave the word to gallop for cover to the
woods where the Welsh company was. There I got ----, who understands
them (the guns), and an infantryman who volunteered to help, and
---- and I ran up to the Maxims and took out the breech mechanism
of both and one of the belts, and carried away one whole Maxim.
We couldn't manage the other.

"We got back very slowly on account of the gun, and the men went wild
with excitement that we had got one gun complete and the mechanism
and belt of the other."

With such incidents the pursuit of the Germans across the Marne
and to the Aisne was replete, and so thoroughly did the advance
French and English troops scour that